Aldehydes, ketones and corresponding primary alcohols are general classes of organic compounds. There are several methods known in any textbook of organic chemistry and in patent literature for the conversion of aldehydes to the corresponding primary alcohols, such as chemical reduction methods using alkali or alkaline earth metal-derived borohydrides or aluminum hydrides and metal catalyzed-hydrogenation. Thus, the conversion of aldehydes and ketones into the corresponding alcohols by catalytic hydrogenation is well known. As such, efforts to optimize aldehyde and/or ketone hydrogenation have been focused on catalyst technology. Nickel carrier catalysts or Raney nickel are frequently used as catalysts for the hydrogenation of aldehydes and ketones. The catalyst simultaneously binds the H2 and the aldehyde and/or ketone and facilitates their union. Platinum group metals, particularly platinum, palladium, rhodium and ruthenium, are examples of highly active catalysts. Highly active catalysts operate at lower temperatures and lower pressures of H2. Non-precious metal catalysts, especially those based on nickel (such as Raney nickel and Urushibara nickel) have also been developed as economical alternatives but they are often slower or require higher temperatures. The trade-off is activity (speed of reaction) vs. cost of the catalyst and cost of the apparatus required for use of high pressures.
Little attention has been paid with regard to non-chemical methods to accelerate the hydrogenation of aldehydes and/or ketones. Consequently, there is a need for alternative methods for accelerating the hydrogenation of aldehydes and/or ketones for the production of alcohol.